Finally in Vellore

Sleep two nights ago was torture. This jetlag thing is driving me crazy. I went to bed at about 10pm, but woke up every hour on the hour from 3am in the morning till I finally decided to get out of bed at 7am. Both me and my roomie can't sleep and are constantly asking each other what time is it as we both get up like clock work to use the bathroom. I don't know why I am urinating like crazy here, I guess it is better than having diarrhea.

After finally getting up at 7am to eat a yummy breakfast, I was suddenly tired and fell back asleep. Then one of my fellow classmates Aruna called and said her family was on there way to pick us up for the drive to Vellore. I am super grateful to her relatives for renting a car and letting me, Erica, and Nicolette ride with them. The distance from Chennai to Vellore was about 70km, which is about a 3 hour drive. Along the way we stoppedat a local place to eat. I got to try and array of curries and gravies with bread. They were all yummy. They fill you up at first, but after a while you feel really hungry again. Then I got my first experience at an Indian public toliet, which is basically a hole in the ground with a toilet seat. I luckily got the stall with the only working toilet bowl. Thank God for handsanitizer, moist wipes, and kleenex.

We finally arrived in Vellore and the driver was insistent that we visit the newly built Golden Temple. The only catch was that you had to walk barefoot from the car to inside the temple. Aruna didn't think it was a great idea, so we stayed in the hot car and waited for her relatives to come back from touring the temple. That was cool with me b/c I wasn't trying to get any organisms crawling into the soles of my feet. All the walls in the temple are painted with 14 carat gold and is a new big tourist attraction in South India.

I was glad when we finally arrived at our hotel (Hotel Avanna Inn). It is 1181 Rupees a night which is about $30 a night, $310 for 3 weeks. Aruna and Nicolete are staying at a hostel on the college campus which is only $10 a night but it is not air conditioned. I have bad memories of sleeping in non-airconditioned places in Nigerian so I was adamant about staying somewhere where I can stay cool no matter the cost.

Getting our room at the hotel was a lot of drama: I handed the guy at the front desk my hotel confirmation and he kept looking at it like it was fake. Then he completely ignored me for about 30minutes. Then they finally told me that they only had double occupancy rooms which only have one queen bed that are airconditioned eventhough on the website it made it appear like you would get two beds. Then we had some communications issues with the deposit you have to pay up front. The lady working the desk kept on giving me this face that if I was in the US she would get a piece of my mind, but I had to remind myself that I can't be ghetto here since I am not from here. I think Hotel Avanna staff never recieved a customer service seminar before opening uptheir hotel.

Our room space is pretty tight. I do appreciate the fact that they have a restaurant in the lobby opened really late and 24 hour room service. The towels are really scratchy though and the sheets are soiled. At first I tried to sleep on the dirty sheets like they were and ignore the fact that they weren't the cleanest. I just tried to imagine that they clean sheets and that we could be sleeping in worse conditions. But when I looked at my roommate's face and how uncomfortable she looked I decided to bring out some sheets I brought with me in case of emergencies. So we used these ones instead. I think Erica may be having some trouble adjusting to all the lack of luxuries here in Vellore. I think we got spoiled with our $90 a day hotel in Chennai. Now she sees the realities of true third world living. Also she is complaining about eating curries everyday. I was like, "What do you expect to eat everyday, steak and potatoes?" I have never been a picky eater so I am really enjoying the food.

Sleep last night was a little better, but I still woke up at about 6am and sat there until breakfast time at 7am. Then I did a little exploring today to try to find some Indian clothes. That venture didn't go too well since most people are about 5feet 4 inches here and a size 6. And the other two people shopping with me are really petite. Plus I want cotton stuff b/c the other materials are way to hot to wear around. Finding clothes is going to be an adventure. Hopefully I will have better luck on a weekday when more stores are open.

Right now, I am just happy to have found an internet cafe with fast internet. Next time I blog, I will try to post some pics. I forgot my USB port in the hotel.